The present invention relates to server systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a server system with removable server cartridges.
Server rack space and building floor space are at a cost premium, so it is desirable to obtain a high server density, especially in installations with hundreds or thousands of servers at one site, while also minimizing system cost. It is desirable in a rack-mounted server farm of xe2x80x9cfront endxe2x80x9d servers, such as those commonly used for Internet web sites, to fit as many servers per xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d (i.e., per 1.75 inches of vertical rack space) as possible.
Existing server solutions include low profile servers of 1U size, and low profile board-based servers having multiple cards that plug into a card cage. However, increasing CPU and disk drive power requirements make these two low profile approaches problematic. The increasing power trend requires the use of larger heat sinks and more efficient cooling schemes that are incompatible with the two low profile prior art approaches. A less than optimum cooling scheme can result in lower reliability.
With the two low profile server solutions discussed above, the installation or removal of individual servers is problematic. With the board-based servers, exposed printed circuit assemblies (PCAs) are handled, which could cause electrostatic discharge (ESD) failures. With the low profile servers of 1U size, it is time consuming to slide out one server, and install a second server.
It would be desirable to provide a server system with xe2x80x9chot swappablexe2x80x9d server cartridges that may be added and removed from a server system on-line. Hot swappable cartridges have been used before in mass storage systems. For example, a xe2x80x9cStarfishxe2x80x9d system is a mass storage system that uses plug-in disk drive cartridges. However, hot swappable server cartridges for a server system have not been used. It would be desirable to provide a server system with hot swappable server cartridges, with a higher server density and reliability than current server systems, and without the disadvantages found in many current server systems.
One form of the present invention provides a server system including a cartridge cage having a power supply. The server system includes a plurality of server cartridges. Each server cartridge is configured to be inserted into the cartridge cage and be powered by the cartridge cage power supply. Each server cartridge includes a processor, memory, and a non-volatile storage device. Each server cartridge includes a case substantially surrounding the processor, the memory, and the non-volatile storage device. The server system includes a cooling subsystem positioned between the power supply and the plurality of server cartridges.
Another form of the present invention provides a server cartridge including a processor, memory coupled to the processor, and a non-volatile storage device coupled to the processor. A server case substantially encompasses the processor, memory, and non-volatile storage device. The cartridge includes an electrical connector for connecting the server cartridge to a backplane of a cartridge cage. The electrical connector is positioned near a back end of the server cartridge. The server cartridge further includes at least one local area network connector positioned near a front end of the server cartridge.
Another form of the present invention provides a server system including a cartridge cage. A plurality of removable power supply modules are configured to be positioned within the cartridge cage near a first end of the cartridge cage. A plurality of removable server cartridges are configured to be positioned within the cartridge cage near a second end of the cartridge cage. Each server cartridge is configured to be powered by one of the power supply modules. Each server cartridge includes a processor, memory, and a non-volatile storage device. A plurality of removable fan modules are configured to be positioned within the cartridge cage between the plurality of power supply modules and the plurality of server cartridges. The cartridge cage includes a backplane positioned substantially near a center of the cage for electrically interconnecting the power supply modules, the server cartridges, and the fan modules.